Two Canadian tourists held hostage since Thursday in Cali, southern Colombia, were freed on Saturday by members of a special military anti-kidnapping unit, the armed forces said.

The kidnappers managed to escape during the rescue operation, according to the military, which is offering a reward for information leading to their discovery.

In the announcement it is clarified that the two tourists, who were kidnapped in a hotel in Cali, which is one of the most touristic cities in Colombia, were found “safe” and their families were informed.

From January to September, 245 kidnappings were recorded in Colombia, according to the police, in other words an increase of more than 70% compared to the corresponding period in 2022 (142 cases).

At the end of October, the kidnapping of the father of Liverpool’s Colombian international striker Luis Diaz, who was finally released after 12 days as a hostage in the jungle, received widespread international media coverage; he was abducted by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), although the organization rebels is conducting peace negotiations with the government.

More than 50,000 people have been abducted in Colombia’s more than half-century of armed conflict, according to figures from the Truth Commission.

40% of these abductions were carried out by the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which disbanded and laid down their arms under the 2016 peace deal, while 24% by far-right paramilitary groups.

Extortion and kidnapping are, along with the trafficking of drugs and illegally mined precious metals, key sources of funding for armed organizations operating in the country, mainly the far-left rebels.